Mount Everest is one of the toughest and most exciting mountains to climb on Earth. It is the world´s tallest mountain above sea level and despite the fact that it’s not the coldest or the windiest place on Earth, it comes close.

Today it is so polluted with trash that it might as well be the world´s highest garbage dump. The ever-growing number of inexperienced mountain climbers have accumulated more garbage than ever on Mount Everest.

Discarded camping gear, empty gas canisters, and human feces contaminated the once unpolluted place. Frozen garbage has started to thaw as well, exposing decades-old rubbish left by climbers. In Nepal, India, and China the amount of polluted air, water, and soil on the mountain has already been a cause of environmental concern.

Pemba Dorje Sherpa has successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest 18 times and declared that “It is disgusting, an eyesore”.

In the last few years, the growing population of people climbing Everest has become more of the “hobbyists” type rather than the genuinely passionate ones. In 2018, there were about 600 people who triumphantly reached the peak.

The problem with this is that this type of climber seemed unconcerned about the environment.

In 2016, the United Nations estimated that the number of visitors to the Mount Everest in 2012 was the highest ever. While the number of climbers brought additional income to locals, they also brought along with them an estimated 300,000 pounds of solid waste.

In 2014, one of the most interesting projects to save the mountain was implemented. Each climber is required to bring down at least 17 pounds of trash from Everest.

Climbers are asked to pay a refundable fee that they can get once they return with the minimum amount of collected garbage. Climbers, however, tend to be reluctant to collect trash and instead choose not to get the refund.

Pemba said many climbers at present simply do not care. Unfortunately, some officials allegedly accepted bribes to let these tourists get away with it.